The present invention concerns an apparatus for dispensing rechargeable refrigerating elements, especially plates or packets containing a substance formulated to accumulate frigories, comprising at least:
an input and disinfection module for said refrigerating elements provided with an input opening, an output opening, and a first means for transferring said elements between the two orifices; and
a refrigeration and storage module for said refrigerating elements provided with an insulated case, a cold generating device for charging said refrigerating elements with frigories, an input orifice corresponding to the output orifice of said input and disinfection module, and an output orifice, said orifices traversing a wall of said insulated case; and with a second transfer means using gravity to transport said refrigeration elements for recycling inside said refrigeration and storage module.
It is well known that a regard for maintaining the temperature of frozen products is essential, since health threatening micro-organisms can develop very rapidly. In practice, with sensitive products such as ground beef there should be virtually no health threatening toxins or micro-organisms present, not even in minute amounts. At xe2x88x9210xc2x0 C., bacteria stops multiplying completely. The risk of finding bacteria and pathogenic toxins is non-existent up to +3xc2x0 C. Above that level, dangerous salmonella (+5xc2x0 C.) and staphylococcus aureus (+6xc2x0 C.) can multiply rapidly. Only scrupulously maintaining the cold chain eliminates these risks.
In order to maintain the cold chain on the way home over a substantial period of time, even during extreme summer heat, a consumer can currently place one or more refrigerating elements in an insulated container which holds fresh or frozen products just purchased. One or more of these refrigerating elements charged with frigories at xe2x88x9218xc2x0 C. diffuses frigories throughput the insulated container. This maintains the temperature of the products without disrupting the cold chain. In order for the consumer to buy or obtain a refrigerating element charged with frigories, a dispensing device as defined above and known through Publication No. F.R.-A-2 745 933 is provided at the point of service. It dispenses and recycles these refrigerating elements. This dispensing device is found principally in large stores near the shelves of frozen products. In the realm of this application, a refrigeration temperature of xe2x88x9218xc2x0 C. is sufficient.
This particularly simple, economical and non-polluting technology can be used prior to distribution, specifically to eliminate the use of dry ice when transporting frozen products. This application requires refrigerating elements of larger volume as well as a higher charge of frigories. For this purpose, the refrigeration temperature inside the refrigeration and storage module should be as low as xe2x88x9235xc2x0 C., for example.
The dispensing apparatus known in the art does not achieve this objective, primarily because of cold escaping at the outlet orifice located on the lower portion of the dispenser.
The present invention proposes overcoming this disadvantage with a dispenser for high capacity refrigerating elements which dispenses and recycles refrigerating elements that can be placed in containers for transporting frozen products and which maintains the cold chain from the dispenser to the consumer""s home.
To achieve this, the invention concerns an apparatus for dispensing refrigerating elements such as that described in the preamble, characterized:
in that the inlet and disinfection module is located above said refrigeration and storage module,
in that the input and output orifices of said refrigeration and storage module are located in the upper portion of said module,
and in that the refrigeration and storage module comprises a third transfer means for lifting the refrigerating elements to the input orifice.
Preferably the input and output orifices of the refrigeration and storage module are located in essentially the same plane.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first transfer means comprises an inclined ramp which uses gravity to transfer the refrigerating elements from said input orifice to said output orifice.
The input and disinfection module may advantageously comprise a cleaning device comprising two circular brushes arranged symmetrically relative to said inclined ramp along the path of the refrigerating elements, each brush being attached to a motor drive rotating plate.
The input orifice may also comprise a presence detector designed to transmit a signal to the motorized element of the cleaning device when a refrigerating element is detected, said presence detector comprising an articulated angled finger subjected to a recall spring designed so that its free extremity is located at the rear of said input orifice on the trajectory of the refrigerating elements, and at least one micro switch.
Preferably, the input orifice of the refrigeration and storage module comprises a sealed door consisting of a flexible spline which opens under the weight of a refrigerating element.
In the preferred embodiment, the second transfer means consists of a helicoidal rail extending inside the case from the input orifice at the upper portion to the lower portion, the purpose of said rail being to receive said refrigeration elements which are generally vertical and in overlapping arrangement on its upper generatrix. In this case the input orifice of the storage and refrigeration module is located along an essentially vertical axis and the inclined ramp of the first transfer means forms an acute angle with the axis of said input orifice.
According to the preferred embodiment, the third transfer means comprises a guide tube extending inside the case from the lower portion thereof to its output orifice at the upper portion, and which receives the superimposed, vertical refrigerating elements with the lower portion of this guide tube comprising a window located opposite the lower extremity of the rail, as well as a lifting device for lifting the superimposed refrigerating elements inside said guide tube in order to accommodate a new refrigerating element arriving from the helicoidal rail; the lower extremity of the helicoidal rail is rectilinear and essentially perpendicular to the window in said guide tube.
The lifting device may comprise a retractable projecting element articulated to the extremity of a runner located in a support that is parallel to and behind the guide tube, said runner moving in a back-and-forth translational motion alternating between a lowered position and a raised position, with the projecting element moving between two positions, an exit position where it extends inside the guide tube while moving forward, and a returned position where it is retracted inside the support; and the lifting device comprises a stop which limits rotation by the articulated projecting element in its projecting position.
In the preferred embodiment, the articulated projecting element is essentially triangular in shape such that when it is extended, its upper surface is essentially horizontal, and when it retracts its lower surface is essentially vertical; the two surfaces together form an acute angle.
Advantageously, the outlet orifice comprises a sealed door designed to open when pushed by a refrigerating element stored in the guide tube, said sealed door sliding within an inclined support located outside said sealed case and comprising, at the extremity that blocks said output orifice, a bisected surface that generates a backward motion when pushed by said refrigerating element. In this case the output orifice is preferable disposed on a vertical axis and the inclined support forms an acute angle with the axis of this output orifice.